Port Blair, June 09: In a raid over artificially ripened fruits by use of carbide gas, the South Andaman District special police team have recovered over 6 kgs of calcium carbide chemical used for ripening of fruits and 277 boxes containing 6045 kgs. of artificially ripened mangoes on 6th June. Three persons have been booked under the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006.
On the basis of information, that huge quantity of artificially ripened mangoes have been stored in the godown of one Shailesh Mishra at Haddo, the police team comprising of ASI M. Abdul Rasheed, HC Surya Narayan, HC Sanjay Kujur, Constables Rakesh Toppo, Ashish Mallick, Mohd. Imran & M. Raja Raoalong with Food and Safety officials of DHS, under the supervision of DySP (SA) Mohd.Aslam, raided the spot and apprehended three persons namely(1) M.D. Sabir (34) yrs, pvt. business r/o Round Basti (2). M.D. Tabarak (42) yrs, pvt. business r/o Babu lane and Shailesh Kr. Mishra (37) yrs, manager, Saumya Agrotect Pvt. Ltd. a Kolklatta based company r/o Dollygunj. 6.548 kgs of calcium carbide were seized on the spot.
It was revealed that Shailesh has the tender for supplying the fruits to Defence for which Sabirand Tabarak brought 10 tons of mangoes from mainland. To ripen the mangoes, they used calcium carbide brought from local market. All three accused persons were booked under Food Safety & Standard Act 2006 and handed over to the accompanying Health Officials along with the chemical and seized mangoes for further legal action.